Is This Your First Massage?

Water, Water, Water, and yes.... more Water

Before a massage, no matter what kind (Deep, Swedish, Lymph Drainage, etc.) you need to hydrate your body in preparation. Drink at least 8-16 oz of water 1-4 hours before your session. This allows time for your muscles, blood, and skin to absorb and hydrate.

Having hydrated skin is important! It helps the therapist make long and purposeful movements without getting drag and they won't have to use as much massage creme. Hydrated skin helps your circulatory system, affects how you release toxins from the body, and gives you extra protection against illness.

After your massage, your water intake is crucial to you getting the optimal results from your session. During a massage, all the fluid in your muscles gets moved and flushed, taking a trip to the bladder (this is why you will often have to urinate either immediately after a massage or soon after), and toxins get broken up and released from the muscles and just kind of hang out floating. If you don't drink AT LEAST 6-8 cups of water in the 24 hours after a massage, then the toxins your therapist broke free will migrate back into your muscles because they weren't flushed out, your muscles will cramp from the lack of moisture and fluid, and you will feet worse than before you went to your session.


Wear Loose Clothing, Minimal Layers, and Slip On Shoes

 To be massaged, at least in the Western Hemisphere, the therapist needs their client to be de-robed. Though also in the Western Hemisphere, people tend to be modest when it comes to clothing and showing their body.

To sum every doubt and burning question: You do not have to be naked.

One option for the first timer is to just get an upper body massage, this way you can leave your pants on. Though if you are wearing jeans, please unbutton and unzip. Trust me, you do not want to spend an hour with a button pressing into you.

Ladies, you can wear a bra. Just know that there are certain moves your therapist can't do, but they can work around a bra.

If you are prepared to undress, then the rest of this section is for you.

Please wear loose clothing. Skin tight skinny jeans take forever to put on and forever to take off. Plus they restrict your circulation which is a big no no after a massage. Sweat pants and a loose t-shirt are fine. You don't have to dress fancy, you're getting a massage, not going to the opera.

Don't wear fifty thousand layers of clothes! Yes, that crop top over your blue tank top with a cardigan looks cute, but takes time to undress and redress. Make your life easier.

The only exception is winter time. Bundle if you need to bundle, but underneath all those coats, remember sweat pants and a t-shirt.

Shoes, shoes, shoes.

You will not believe the shoes I have seen.

Thigh high lace up boots are not your friend when getting a massage!

Wear slip on shoes, like boat shoes or flip flops or boots.

Again, make your life easier, not harder.


BREATHE

Please breathe. Your body needs oxygen to live.

Tensing up and holding your breath does not help the session. The therapist is trying to find the rhythm of your body, so just blank out and breathe.

If you need help, listen to the music and try to internalize the beat.

But please....don't hold your breath. Passing out is not conducive to your therapy.


Communicate and Ask Questions

If you have a question, don't be afraid to ask. You are not imposing on your therapist. Ask what technique they're using, ask about the weather, ask about NASA's latest mission to Mar's. Don't just clam up and lay there.

Also, communication is key.

If it hurts; tell us.

If it tickles; tell us.

We can't help if you don't communicate.

Yes, we can feel the tightness in your muscles. We can feel the trigger points and reflexology points. We check ROM (range of motion). We check the lymphatics system and the circulatory system.

But different people have different pressure thresholds. Tim may find one pressure comfortable that Steve finds painful.

And there's also the nervous system!!

A therapist can't feel the nervous system with their hands. They can do reflex tests to see how it's working, but nerves are just too small to have an accurate read from just our fingers.

Bottom line: Ask questions and tell us if something hurts.




But most importantly, remember to relax.


Peace

Amanda